This area is an excellent 250 - 500 foot chunk of mostly vertical granite containing hundreds of horizontal dikes. The resulting climbing is primarily traditional, but has a air of safety because there are rests every few feet. Most of the climbing here is traditional, and you will find about 150 routes that range from bouldering to 4 pitches. Some routes are sport, but most of the sport climbing is .11 or so, as the abundance of easier traditional routes discourages some excellent sport face climbing. All of the routes demand less than 20 minutes to "hike" into, as the entrance path is part of the pioneer trail, and therefore excellently maintained and quite wide. Once you veer off the trail towards the rock things get steep, but are surprisingly easy on the way up.
You can camp at the campground at the entrance to the pioneer trail at the main parking lot, about 1/5 - 2/3 of a mile from all climbs.
Conveniently located at the edge of the campground are a few large boulders worth doing. From the parking lot, head uphill and cross over the small foot bridge to the Pony Express Trail. Hang a left, and walk up the gently sloped trail for about 3 minutes.
Almost all multipitch routes are best to walk off, both for the preservation of existing vegetation, and that most routes don't have any fixed protection at the top of the rock due to the abundance of trees, cracks, and large rocks at the top.
You can get pretty good food at the Strawberry Lodge, when it's open.
Getting There
From the Bay Area / Sacramento: Head East on highway 50 towards Placerville. Continue past Placerville to the town of Strawberry, which is approximately 8 miles past the more marked Kyburz. Turn off the freeway onto the small route that parallels the 50 just on the far side of the Strawberry lodge, which is hard to miss on your right. This is about 40 miles past Placerville. You get a good glimpse of the west and main walls as you get close to the Lodge on a clear day.
From Lake Tahoe: Head 18 miles West on Highway 50 to the town of Strawberry, where you should head a left just before the Strawberry Lodge, which will approach on your left after a magnificent view of Lover's Leap looming to the left on the way to the lodge.
From the Strawberry Lodge: Follow the road that Parallels the 50. At the junction, head left, and travel through the small neighborhood quietly and slowly, as advised by local signs. You will run directly into the parking lot about 1/3 mile later.
This difficult crack lies below Main Ledge, to the right of the first pitch of "Traveler Buttress". Very thin jamming leads to a two Bolt anchor....[more]
the leap is very good... check out bears reach (5.7) and the line (5.9) if you've never been. killer stuff.
By caughtinside From: Point Richmond, CA May 29, 2007
Chuck and Tamara,
Good backup camping option is to go to the Phantom Spires, which is on Forest Service land. Free, but unimproved camping. It is just 5 miles down the road. The area is in the guidebooks.
Often, if you are friendly, you can share a site at the Leap. Usually it is only a problem if you show up friday or saturday.
I second that area as optional camping. If you want to see something really special, continue up the road to Wright's Lake at the top. Quite a nice place for breakfast if the view of the spires wasn't good enough ~(-:
Anyone heard or know if the fire is affecting the area?
By Aron Quiter Administrator From: Berkeley, CA Jul 12, 2007
The Fire of late June 2007 was well east of lover's leap, and with the wind coming from the south, the leap would be not affected at all. Eagle Lake - probably, but not the leap.
I was climbing at the leap as the got the last of the fire undercontroll. Nothing was affected except a faint smell.
Anyway, there was a sign posted last summer (2007) saying there were plans to start charging $10 for camping as of spring 2008(may if my memory serves). Still worth the trip, but plan a little less beer $.
I wonder if now that they are charging for camping they will have to repair that power line that you have to duck under hiking in or if that is going to remain a special part of the rustic ambiance.
Lover's Leap
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